


there is no one like you baby

by thefluffqueen



Category: Glee
Genre: Alternate Season 1, F/M, Rachel transfers to Carmel and takes Puck and Santana with her, Rewrite to Hell-O
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-06
Updated: 2015-07-06
Packaged: 2018-04-07 21:44:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4279026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thefluffqueen/pseuds/thefluffqueen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rachel's refusal to give in the ultimatum issued in 'Hell-O' leads Puck, Santana and her to their destinies.</p>
            </blockquote>





	there is no one like you baby

**Author's Note:**

> Yet another repost from FF.net.

**K** urt is saying, "Everyone's replaceable, Rachel, even you", and she can't believe in her own ears. Those four teenagers, who she believed were her friends, her teammates, are making her choose between them and her new boyfriend? And they dare to say  **she** is replaceable? A bitter resentment bubbles inside her, but is then replaced by a freeing sense of realization, because this actually makes a decision she has been postponing for years now much easier to make.

Looking at Kurt, Mercedes, Tina and Artie with a healthy dose of sympathy, she smiles, because she has finally had her decision made for her. Sure, she'll miss Santana and Noah, but she for sure won't miss Kurt and Mercedes whining when she's given the solos she deserves. She won't miss having slushies thrown on her face. She won't miss Mr. Schue's immediate and automatic dismissal of her ideas. Having Jesse in Carmel is actually just a plus for her love life. Vocal Adrenaline is much better for her as a training diva.

"Fine then," she flippantly says, walking out of the choir room while still facing them. Mercedes smiles slightly, pleased that Rachel has seen things their way, and believes the pint-sized brunette will finally do what  **they** want.

But then Rachel opens her mouth, and the words that leave it shouldn't come as surprise, but still do. "Good luck trying to win Regionals without me," Rachel says, and Mercedes has a bad feeling about this, because Rachel's smiling confidently, surely, her eyes looking peaceful in a way that Mercedes can't ever remember them looking.

Kurt sighs and rolls his eyes, exasperated. "Here she goes, quitting again," he mocks, and Mercedes bites back the urge to smack her best friend, because Rachel doesn't flinch at the bite in his words, neither does she look hurt or disappointed. She just stands there in front of them and smiles, and Mercedes has to fight back the urge to apologize, because somehow she feels this won't have a happy ending.

"Oh, no, I'm not just quitting, Kurt," Rachel says smiling pleasantly. "I'm  **transferring**."

Artie and Tina gasp in shock, Kurt's eyes widen and his jaw drops to the floor, while Mercedes grimaces because she realizes she's right. Rachel has made her mind to leave McKinley and, while they surely can find someone to fill her spot, there's only one other school Rachel can go to - the school whose glee club is led by Rachel's new beau. "T-transferring?" Tina stutters, stunned, and Rachel's smile grows.

"Yes. There's a spot just waiting for me on Carmel for years now. Up until now I kept postponing taking it. I thought glee was a reason strong enough for me to stick around, but since you guys - and Finn, I'm guessing - have decided to run  **my** life for me, I've come to realize I can do whatever I want, whatever pleases me. In Carmel, I'll be adored, unlike here where I'm hated by everyone because of my ambition and my talent. So, have fun sharing  **my** solos and, again, good luck trying to be Vocal Adrenaline without  **me**."

Mercedes sighs while Rachel skips out of the choir room. This really won't have a happy ending - for  **them**.

* * *

**R** achel turns on her heels and leaves the choir room skipping, pulling her cell phone out. She quickly finds Jesse's number (she knows he has a free period right now) and presses dial.

He answers quickly. " _Rachel? What's wrong, baby? Did something happen? You never call during school hours..._ " His voice is concerned, and Rachel smiles widely. They're together for only a few days, but they already know each other so well...

"Jesse, I was wondering if there's any policy in Carmel against students dating," she asks casually as she skips past Noah and Santana who frown at her. Noah's phone beeps and he pulls it out, his eyes nearly popping out of its sockets when he reads the text before approaching her with a question in his eyes. She immediately knows what it says and nods in confirmation. Noah whispers to Santana and she smirks, openly impressed.

" _Not that I know, Rach, and even if there_ **were** _, you know students don't give a damn about it. I most certainly don't_ ," he says, and she can detect his confusion for her questions. " _Why are you asking?_ "

"Well, baby..." She bites her lower lip with a smile, Noah and Santana falling in step with her. "It turns out that Carmel will have a brand new student later today, and hopefully Vocal Adrenaline will have a new member as well."

Jesse keeps a moment of silence, then slowly says, " _You're transferring? To_ **Carmel** _? What happened, Rach?_ "

Rachel freezes for a moment and asks with a tiny voice, "You don't want me to go to the same school you do?"

He scoffs. " _Of course I do, Rach. Don't be silly. But I dropped you off less than four hours ago. What happened?_ "

She sighs. "What do you think?"

Jesse's silent for a long minute and then also sighs. " _They've found out about me_ ," he says quietly, not needing her answer, because he knows what the lowlifes in her glee club must have asked of her. " _And they gave you an ultimatum, didn't they?_ " She doesn't reply (there is no need, they've talked at length about this), and he sighs again. " _Your paperwork is ready?_ "

"It will be. Jesse, I hate to ask..."

" _I'll schedule an audition for you with Shelby, baby, don't worry. You'll do wonderfully, and I'll finally have a female lead with talent enough to keep up with me._ " She can feel his enthusiasm, and it makes even more certain of her decision. " _Everything will be great, Rach_."

"I know," she chirps happily. "I'm so excited, Jesse! Talk to you later, okay?" She clicks her call off and turns to Noah and Santana. "Yes? Can I help you?"

"You've finally made your mind,  **chica**?" Santana says, proudly and affectionately. Rachel smiles back at her, nodding, and Santana realizes she has never seen this Rachel - this confident, proud, overjoyed girl, whose eyes look finally in peace. Santana and Rachel's longtime friendship have been renewed since the smaller brunette stood up in the Latina's defense on the leaked list during Sectionals. The cheerleader is relieved to see Rachel  **finally** standing up for herself against those who try to tear her down. "I'm so proud of you, Rach," she whispers, and Rachel's eyes well up with tears. The two girls hug, and she can hear Noah nearby, speaking on the phone.

"Andrew? It's Puck. She's made it." His eyes are also sparkling with tears when they meet Rachel's. "Rachel Berry is leaving for Carmel."

* * *

**R** achel is busily cleaning up her locker and telling Noah and Santana about the ultimatum fiasco issued by the other original gleeks, while her parents are taking care of her paperwork, when Mike, Matt and Brittany all rush towards them.

"Rach!" Mike pants, leaning down with his hands against his knees as he catches his breath. "Is it true?" He asks breathlessly, and Rachel looks sadly at the three of them.

"Yes," she says. "I'm leaving McKinley."

A sobbing Brittany rushes forward and engulfs Rachel in a tight hug, crying against her shoulder. Rachel awkwardly pats her back, and Santana huffs, stepping forward and gently prying Brit away from Rachel.

"Stop crying, Brit, B's not dying, she's just switching schools," Noah says quietly, looks at Mike and Matt who have Rachel sandwiched between the two of them. "It was always a possibility, Rachel just never chose to tell you guys about it."

Hiram and Leroy Berry show up at one end of the hall and smile at their daughter and her friends. Matt and Mike step aside with a last simultaneous squeeze on Rachel; Hiram wraps an arm around her shoulders and says, "All cleared up, honey."

Brittany breaks down in a new round of sobs, and Rachel hugs her first. Santana goes next, then Mike and Matt and, finally, Noah. It's only when she's in Noah's arms that a sheen of tears pool in her eyelids.

Noah squeezes her tight and whispers, "It's going to fuck suck without you, Rach." She chuckles at him, stands in her tiptoes to kiss his jaw. He slides a finger along her jawbone and smiles softly. "Go kick some feeling into those Vocal Adrenaline automatons, will ya?"

Rachel nods and steps away from him and, just like that, it's over. Rachel Berry walks away from William McKinley High School with Noah Puckerman, Santana Lopez, Brittany Pierce, Mike Chang and Matt Rutherford watching her as she leaves. Matt sighs and voices what they're all thinking. "We're  **fucked** at Regionals."

In a somber mood, they walk to the choir room, where the rest of the gleeks are waiting. As they join the others, Quinn frowns and silently counts. They're five minutes shy of practice and Rachel is never,  **ever** , late.

"Have you guys seen Rachel?" She quietly asks Brittany and Santana, startling when Brittany bursts into tears and sobs inconsolably against Santana's shoulder. The pregnant blonde notices their dark faces and grows worried. "What's wrong?"

"Rachel left McKinley," Matt says quietly, and Quinn laughs in disbelief, Finn blinks dumbfounded.

"That's not funny, Matt. What's wrong?" Quinn asks again, missing how Kurt pales, how Mercedes and Tina flinch, how Artie looks down at his lap.

"It's fucking true, Q," Santana barks, glaring murderously at the embarrassed original gleeks. "Just ask the stupid siblings of Dumb and Dumber what they tried to order Rachel to do earlier this morning."

Mercedes shrinks back guiltily when a curious Quinn turns to look at her and Finn with an eyebrow raised in unspoken question, and the latter looks cluelessly back. She then turns the power of her icy look to Kurt, and he sighs.

"Rachel's dating Vocal Adrenaline's lead Jesse St. James. We just told her either she broke up with him or we'd all quit." Quinn gasps, Finn blanches and Kurt raises his hands in defense. "It never crossed my mind that she'd rather transfer to Carmel, okay?"

"That's your fucking problem, Hummel. You never fucking  **think** ," Puck snaps back and then turns to try and help Santana calm a heartbroken Brittany down.

"Rachel went to  **Carmel**? She  **quit**?" Quinn whispers in shock, falling back on her seat. "Vocal Adrenaline now has Jesse  **and** Rachel? We're doomed!"

* * *

**M** eanwhile, Jesse and Rachel meet at her house, and she's glowing with joy. He's still stunned she actually did it - Rachel actually left McKinley for Carmel!

Naturally he's aware of her spot at Carmel, she's told him about it on their first date, but then she seemed so sure she belonged in McKinley, with New Directions, that he's still reeling from her sudden change of mind. She skippingly approaches him with a big smile, and he notices an obvious change in her demeanor.

Free from McKinley's food chain subjection, Rachel's more relaxed, secure, more herself. This is not the same nervous, starstruck young girl he met only a few weeks ago. This is a star in the making, a woman with talent to equal his own, and this new side of her - this glowing joy of someone who took control of her life and did as she pleased - is very, very sexy.

He pulls her to him and kisses her passionately, and she gigglingly wraps her arms around his neck and melts against him. "I still can't believe you actually did it," he whispers when they break apart for air (air is way, way overrated - he'll die a happy man if his death comes from Rachel Berry's kisses).

Rachel giggles and softly pecks his lips, grinning. "I had a choice to make, and I made it. I chose you, I chose  **us** , but, first and foremost, I chose  **me** , my talent, my future, my life. And it feels... It's exhilarating, Jesse! It empowered me!" She laughs again, and he laughs with her, because her laughter is contagious. "C'mon in. Daddy and dad are making dinner and asked me to tell you to join us."

And that's how Jesse St. James meets Hiram and Leroy Berry and falls deeper in love with Rachel Berry. He has never seen happier, and because of his awed reaction to that her fathers are immediately charmed by him.

The next morning, Jesse helps Rachel enroll at Carmel, but, before the thrilled couple can actually make their way to her first class, Finn Hudson finds them. "Rachel! Thank God I've found you!" He screams, and Rachel blinks, shocked and upset at his presence. Jesse protectively wraps an arm around her waist, and she bravely puts on a showface.

"Finn? What a...  **surprise** ," she says dryly, and Jesse bites back the urge to smirk. "What are you doing here?" She asks, and Finn apparently misses her unhappiness at having him on her new turf, and opens a big, toothy grin at her.

"I've come to take you home. C'mon, Rach, the game is over. It's not funny anymore."

Rachel stares him slackjawed, and Jesse raises his eyebrows, because... Seriously? Not even Rachel can be that dramatic.

"Finn..." The brunette sighs impatiently. "You and the others tried to force me to choose. And I did. I chose  **me**. I'm out of McKinley and not interested at all to go back. Have a good day. See you at regionals... Or not." She shrugs carelessly and tugs at Jesse's hand, leaving a completely stunned Finn on her wake.

After Rachel's showdown with Finn, Jesse taks her to her classroom, where he drops her off before heading to Shelby's office to catch her up on the changes that happened over the last day before going to his own class.

Shelby is surprisingly stunned, thrilled and nervous to learn that Rachel Berry -  **the** Rachel Berry, from sectionals - wants to join Vocal Adrenaline. Jesse smiles - and it's a real smile, Shelby notices - and hints what an amazing addition Rachel will make to the team, especially for the lead female position. The older woman laughs knowingly and makes no promises, sets Rachel's audition for the next morning.

And, of course, it's an amazing success. She leaves her Broadway repertoire aside, chooses a Mariah Carey love song and sings it with her eyes fixed on Jesse and a wide smile on her face. Shelby is impressed, so are the rest of Vocal Adrenaline members, and when Rachel sings with Jesse for the first time she's unanimously elected female lead.

* * *

**I** n the blink of an eye, three months pass through Ohio. In the wake of Rachel's departure, McKinley High's glee club has a brand new member, Sam Evans. The boy sings decently, but makes the numbers uneven (seven boys, five girls), and New Directions are still one fierce female lead short. Tina, Mercedes and Santana share the solos, but the former two are now keenly aware of Rachel's importance within the group. She was pure talent, passion and drive, and her range went from showtunes to old rock and power ballads.

To make things worse, Puck and Santana, still furious with the original gleeks' role in Rachel's departure, refuse to do more than to carry their own weight, no matter how often Schue tries to intervene.

For Rachel, however, those three months are the best of her life. Under Shelby's strict tutelage and hard rehearsal regime, she blossoms. Two weeks after transferring to Carmel and auditioning for Vocal Adrenaline, the fact that she and Shelby are mother and daughter is revealed, and, after a long and emotional conversation, the two women agree to keep their familial bond outside the auditorium. Rachel gives her best, works her hardest, and Shelby is strictest with her than with the others, but slowly Rachel proves herself and manages to be respected and admired, not only by her peers, but by her mother too.

Her relationship with Jesse also grows by bounds and leaps too. It's serious, committed and everything Rachel always dreamed but feared she would never have or find. Two months in, Jesse introduces Rachel to his parents, and Claire and Jonathan St. James immediately approve of her. Just a week later, Rachel gets a promise ring from Jesse, who also has one, and this makes all the involved parents start dreaming of a wedding and grandbabies.

It gets to the point where Rachel is jokingly called Mrs. St. James by the other members of VA, and even Jesse takes on the nickname, playfully calling her the wifey or the missus.

Rachel also makes important introductions. She introduces Noah to Jesse just three weeks after leaving McKinley, and the boys bond over their mutual love of Queen (and her). A week after that, Santana and Brittany get to know Jesse, and the blonde cheerfully dubs their pairing 'St. Berry'.

During their conversations, New Directions and Vocal Adrenaline are never mentioned, but Puck once tells them how he had to beat Finn up for trying to bed Santana (in a delayed revenge on him for sleeping with Quinn). Rachel is of course shocked, and Jesse laughs, Santana gags in disgust ("As if I'd sleep with that... that...  _maricón_!" She snaps), and Noah huffs.

Rachel honestly can't help but feel relief at seeing her best friends getting swimmingly along with the love of her life. A life, she decides, that is perfection, and all thanks to Mercedes, Kurt, Artie, Tina  and their ultimatum.

* * *

**T** he opportunity to thank the original gleeks arises during Regionals. Having arrived early as it always happens when it comes to Vocal Adrenaline, Rachel and Jesse are talking quietly to each other in the common area when New Directions arrives, Kurt, Mercedes, Tina and Artie freezing for a moment at seeing the lovebirds together.

Rachel smiles politely but widely at everyone; Brittany rushes forward to hug her, with Mike and Matt trailing after the blonde. Noah and Santana join them right after, and Mr. Schue smiles at his former student, waving. The Carmel students and the McKinley gleeks begin chatting amiably, while Sam, Quinn, Finn, Artie, Tina, Kurt and Mercedes huddle together, apart from the small group around Rachel.

"New Directions," Rachel announces proudly and clearly, the love in her voice unmistakable, "meet Jesse St. James. My boyfriend and male lead in Vocal Adrenaline. Jesse," she squeezes his hand lovingly, looks beyond her small circle of friends, "meet the New Directions." Rachel smiles fondly at her former teammates.

Brittany rolls her eyes, lodges herself against Rachel's free side. Matt and Mike smile and nod. The others nod and say hey (Sam does both, smiling), but in the end Rachel's group remains the same: she and Jesse, Noah and Santana, Mike and Matt with Brittany, talking and laughing and catching up and making plans for the summer.

Rachel hates planning her summer, because she knows the summer means Jesse's move to LA - and she desperately wants to delay the pain of his absence. Hearing her boyfriend speak so excitedly about his new life, she forces her showface on, and Santana notices, but, before she can change the subject, a voice rings out, loud and clear.

"Jesse! Mrs. St. James! Coach's calling!" Andrea calls out, and everyone (but Puck and Santana, that is) blinks in stunned disbelief when Rachel looks up towards the former VA lead. Finn grows pale, and that's hysterically funny for Noah and Santana, who burst out laughing. Rachel giggles with them, and Jesse chuckles. The girl notices Kurt, Mercedes, Quinn and Tina trying to zero in her hand, searching for a ring, and valiantly approaches them.

"I'm not married," she startles them by saying, approaching their small huddle. "That's a nickname Jesse and my friends at school use because Jesse and I are always together all the time. They claim we're like an old married couple already," she explains, and impulsively hugs them one at a time. She pats Quinn's expansive belly, smiles at her former rival. "So, when is this little girl coming into the world? You look awesome, Quinn." She then turns to Sam and smiles. "You must be Sam. I'm Rachel. I've heard quite a lot about you. All good, I swear."

Behind her, Puck snorts, Santana laughs and Rachel smiles.

"Rachel," Jesse says softly, warningly. "Shelby will throw a fit if we stay here any longer. Not even being your mother will keep her from lecturing you for quite a long time."

Rachel nods and openly ignores the stunned disbelief of those who knew her before her move to Carmel. Making her way to Jesse's side, she focuses her eyes on those who pushed her away. "I want to thank you for pushing me to choose. It was the best thing you could ever do to me. It led me to being truly happy, to making my high school dreams come true, to finding the love of my life and my soulmate. And, for everything that I've found since that ultimatum - my mother, my boyfriend, my friends, my place in VA -, I'm truly grateful to you guys."

An older and graver version of Rachel appears at the end of a corridor, her voice hard and demanding as she barks, "Rachel Barbara Berry and Jesse Jonathan St. James, dressing room  **now**!"

At her hard voice, Jesse flinches, but Rachel giggles, and together they make their way to the woman, whose eyes soften just a teeny tiny bit when Jesse wraps an arm around Rachel's waist and whispers something that makes her laugh before kissing him.

The six members of New Directions that Rachel cut off her life since moving to Carmel are left stunned. It's like they've just met a new and unknown Rachel. Proud of their friend, Puck and Santana smile.

* * *

**N** aturally, Vocal Adrenaline wins (wipes the floor with the competition). Rachel has proved to be quite the addition to the team: her passion and her drive inject a much needed shot of feeling that Carmel's victorious club has previously been missing. Her version of  _Total Eclipse of the Heart_ , sung in duet with Jesse, is heartbreaking but hopeful at the same time; the air around the leads and offstage couple sizzles with chemistry and love.

Their setlist also includes  _Another One Bites The Dust_ with a speck of funk. From the wings, Puck and Santana watch grinning like proud big siblings, with Shelby behind them, looking at her daughter with immense pride and joy.

Surprisingly, New Directions is runner up, and Rachel smiles widely at them before the rest of Vocal Adrenaline hoists her up next to Jesse, the pair holding their trophy up.

Puck and Santana are swept into the Carmel's glee club's celebration, and Jesse laughs when Puck joyfully pecks Rachel on the lips. She blushes fiercely but laughs, and Santana also kisses Rachel, making the boys either whoop or whistle or drool. The Vocal Adrenaline kids begin to relentlessly tease their leads, and the rest of ND who hasn't seen Rachel since her departure is stunned at how normal the girl they considered freaky is.

In the end, that's an amazing night for Rachel. She wins Regionals with her boyfriend, under her mother's watchful tutelage, and also has her first night ever with Jesse. It's erotic, romantic and simply perfect. Jesse and she are recuperating from their lovemaking when Rachel's phone frantically rings.

It's Noah. His daughter with Quinn, the baby he has lovingly been calling Beth since knowing it was a girl, has decided to enter the world after Regionals, and both Quinn and he have agreed they want Shelby to have her.

That's how Elizabeth Noelle Corcoran joins Rachel's growing family.

Quinn wants to move on with her life and is firmly set on having a closed adoption, but Puck decides on having an open one, reasoning that he'll see little Beth all the time, being Rachel's best friend.

Early the next afternoon, Jesse watches as Rachel cuddles with newborn Beth and plans. Seeing Rachel with a baby makes him realize he has found the woman he wants to marry and have a family with. And that's what he'll make happen, once he's done with school.

* * *

**J** esse's graduation day arrives, and Hiram, Leroy and Shelby are there, sitting next to Claire and Jonathan. Rachel's sitting on the row in front of the parents, Puck and Santana on each of her sides before sneaking her way to backstage.

Once the ceremony is done, Jesse and the other graduating members of Vocal Adrenaline lead their now former choir in an emotional rendition of  _To Sir With Love_ (Rachel not once lets go of his hand whenever she has the opportunity to cling to it) that makes everyone cry.

When it's over, the extensive group has a festive dinner at the Berry family house. Shelby, Hiram and Leroy take the opportunity to make a much delayed announcement.

In two weeks, when Jesse moves to California to go to school, their entire family - Rachel, Hiram, Leroy, Shelby and baby Beth - will go with him.

Caught by surprise by her parents' decision, Rachel is shocked for, like, five seconds, before squealing out in joy and jumping in Jesse's arms, hugging her with all her might. Jesse, surprisingly emotional, buries his face on her hair and cries. His tears trigger Rachel's, and the pair cry together and exchange small kisses.

Watching their friends' emotional reaction to the news that they won't need to be apart, Puck and Santana are torn between the joy of seeing Rachel and Jesse happy and the heartbreak of their absence. Santana's cheek is pressed against Puck's shoulder, silent tears coursing down her cheeks, and Puck's hands are clenched into fists next to his body as he struggles with containing his grief over losing his best friend to  a new city. Noticing this, Rachel drags them into her and Jesse's embrace, and the four teenagers desperately cling to each other.

The New Directions members learn, however, that the parents also have a surprise for  **them**. Having guessed that Puck and Santana would react exactly like they're reacting, Shelby, Hiram and Leroy reveal they've talked about taking them when the family moves. With that in mind, the adults have spoken with Puck's mother and Santana's parents.

In the end, Anne Puckerman, aware of her son's closeness with Rachel and knowing how cared he will be with the girl's family, has allowed Puck to move. Maribel and Dr. Enrique Lopez are slightly more reluctant to let their only daughter move away, but, having been neighbors with the Berry family for years, they trust Hiram and Leroy with their daughter's care and also give their blessing for Santana to go.

So, a week after Jesse's graduation, Hiram and Leroy fly all the way to Los Angeles, leaving Shelby busy with packing up their lives - helped by the teenagers and their parents -, to buy a house large enough to accomodate three adults, four teenagers and a baby.

One night, being done with packing for the day, Jesse, Rachel, Santana and Puck round up Brittany, Mike and Matt to break to them the big news of their move. From that night on, every waking moment find the seven youngsters together. When it's time for them to leave, Rachel extends an invitation for the trio to fly for all breaks and holidays over to California, and they promise to be there.

* * *

 

**A** month later, the new school year starts, and Jesse settles into blissful life with his new and extended family. It's a whole new guy the Jesse that swaggers into UCLA campus: for the first time in his life, he has something - rather, some **one** \- he loves and wants more than fame and success. Rachel's the most important person of his life, and it shows.

Rachel decides her new life demands a makeover, and Santana takes to that like ducks to water. The animal sweaters are given away (Santana wants the miniskirts to have the same fate, but Jesse sets his foot down and so the skirts stay). Rachel's brand new wardrobe includes shorts, jeans and ladylike dresses, and a new hair cut.

Santana's biggest change is personality-wise. She drops the bitchy and slutty persona and is more open and friendly. Rachel becomes her soul sister, and the two are thick as thieves, often planning surprises for their boyfriends.

Puck's change is career- and study-wise. He jumps headfirst on his studies, because even a BAMF needs a college diploma. It's not only his disinterest on his studies that he leaves behind in Lima. He also drops his manwhore ways and commits fully to his relationship with Santana. To mark this shift, he starts going by his given name. Only Santana calls him Puck now, and that's not often.

The three high schoolers all decide to audition to their school's glee glub, which they do successfully, being immediately invited to join. Noah also tries out for the football team and gets in. Santana does the same for the cheerleading squad and also gets in. Rachel's torn between trying out for the cheerleading squad (influenced by Santana) and auditioning for the drama club. Eventually, her future career dreams prevail and it's the drama club she focuses on.

Such commitments and appointments make the youngsters' schedules pretty tight and full, but they make each other a priority - relationship- and friendship-wise. Week nights are reserved for homework together (Santana, Noah and Rachel have the same classes), weekend days for family, nights for double dates.

They get a weekly update on life in Lima, courtesy of Brittany.

Apparently Sunshine Corazón, a foreign exchange student from Phillipines, enrolls at McKinley, joins New Directions and fills in the female lead position, which has been empty since Rachel's departure months before. A boy named Blaine Anderson (who Jesse recognizes as being the leader of Dalton Academy's Warblers) transfers, joins and wins Kurt's heart over. They're now happily dating. Quinn and Finn, to absolutely no one's surprise, are finally back together. Artie's relationship with Tina went down the drain during the summer. Tina has moved on to Mike, and Artie on to Brittany (Santana later calls the wheelchair-bound boy and threatens him with physical harm if he breaks Brittany's heart). Matt has apparently managed to peel back Mercedes' hardened layers. They've been dating since shortly after Noah, Santana and Rachel left to Los Angeles. And Sam and Sunshine are slowly making their way to a romance.

* * *

**F** ive years later, life remains pretty much the same. The only change is Beth, who is growing into an adorable and willful little girl who everyone in the house dotes on.

As for the young couples, the most visible changes are the rings on Santana's and Noah's hands, and the gorgeous and  **huge** diamond on Rachel's left hand.

Noah gave Santana a promise ring after their high school graduation, two years before, and is also using one. Santana is pre-Law in UCLA (Noah and Rachel also chose the same school), while Noah is studying Architecture.

As for Rachel, Jesse made his promise to himself a reality and proposed to her with flair and epic romance. Like Jesse, Rachel is majoring in Drama and minoring in Music, and the engaged couple is already planning their nuptials (Santana is maid of honor, and Noah best man, of course).

After graduation, Brittany, Matt, Tina and Mike join the couples in California (Brittany and Mike are studying Dance, Tina's majoring in Fashion and Matt is pre-Med) and, when they come, they bring news from those they left behind. Finn and Quinn are married, studying at Ohio State. Kurt and Blaine are in New York (Kurt in Parsons, Blaine NYU). Sunshine went back to Philippines, while Sam's on Tennessee and Mercedes's on Florida.

Immediately after graduating from college, Jesse auditions to a promising pilot and is approved. The pilot is a success, and Jesse's praised for his acting. Reading the rave reviews, Rachel's almost bursting with pride at her fiancé. Shelby, Hiram and Leroy break a champagne out and open, toasting to their future son-in-law's success.

As the alcohol flows, soon the baby and kid pictures are broken out, and Rachel finds the last Thunderclap she was a part of. Jesse also finds his own yearbook from the year before he met Rachel, and stares at his picture with Vocal Adrenaline.

As each studies their pictures from the year before their lives drastically changes, the four young adults realize how far they've come from the obnoxious male diva, arrogant male lead, slutty cheerleader and meathead footballer. With each other's and their families' support, they've grown up and now know they can face the world head on.

After a while, they've come to see that, when Mercedes, Kurt, Artie and Tina gave Rachel an ultimatum, they've altered not only Rachel's fate, but they also saved Puck and Santana from themselves, and cemented relationships and friendships that will last a lifetime.


End file.
